Christmas in the Trenches
by MegTDJ
Summary: It was Christmas in the trenches where the frost so bitter hung. (DanJan) COMPLETE
1. Part one

Title: Christmas in the Trenches  
Author: MegTDJ  
Category: Angst/drama; action/adventure; hurt/comfort; romance  
Rating: PG-13  
Pairing: Daniel/Janet  
Spoilers: Rite of Passage. Set in late season 5/early season 6, but Meridian doesn't happen in this universe.  
Summary: It was Christmas in the trenches where the frost so bitter hung.  
Disclaimer: Stargate SG-1, its universe and its characters are not mine. The story itself is, however, so please don't archive without my permission.

Author's notes: I started this fic in December 2003, as a response to that year's Christmas challenge (issued by Ness), but I got sick and couldn't finish it. Better late than never, right? The challenge was:

_ no deaths (ie, both characters are alive);  
a kiss (between Daniel/Janet, obviously); and  
the story summary is lyrics from a Christmas song (the song and/or lyrics do not have to feature IN the story itself - just in the summary)._

The Christmas song I used is, obviously, Christmas in the Trenches, by John McCutcheon.

Please bear in mind that I'm not a medical expert, so if there are any medical impossibilities in this or any other of my stories... well, I don't really care, heh. I usually do a bit of research before writing anything that has medical jargon in it, but I slacked off with this one. My bad. :P

Also, you should know that this fic is set in late season 5, in a world in which Meridian never happened.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

**Christmas in the Trenches - Part 1**

It occurred to Jack as he was running for his life from yet another pack of angry Jaffa that he might be getting just a little too old for this.

The sound of staff blasts and gunfire was almost deafening, and he knew that he could be shot down by enemy fire at any moment. His jacket had already been singed a couple of times by near misses. Every few steps, he took a quick glance to either side to make sure his teammates were all still running with him. He hated being in situations like this.

He still hadn't figured out how the damn Jaffa had managed to sneak up on them like that. SG-1 had been on this planet for two days, and hadn't found a sign of recent visitors anywhere. Daniel had done his archaeologist thing on the ancient ruins they'd found, and then they'd started back for the gate. The first shot had come out of nowhere, and since then they'd been running like hell to get back to the gate before they were completely cut off.

"Break for the tree line!" he shouted. He turned to lay cover fire as his team made a run for the trees, feeling a great sense of satisfaction when two of the enemy soldiers went down. Then he ran as fast as he could into the forest, hoping that the trees would provide them with the protection they needed while they made their escape.

For a while, it seemed to be working. They didn't lose the Jaffa, but their clunky armour did slow them down when it came to running around trees and jumping over roots and foliage. He figured that if his team could keep up this pace, they'd beat the remaining Jaffa to the gate and be home free.

What he hadn't counted on was another battalion of warriors appearing in front of them.

Again, the first sign of their approach was a staff blast that narrowly missed Jack's head. Teal'c quickly returned fire, but Jack didn't stop or slow down to fire so much as a bullet. He knew they were close to the gate now, so any delay could mean the difference between reaching their destination in tact or being surrounded by the enemy and never getting there at all.

Just as he thought they were going to make it, he heard a cry and a thud coming from behind him. He looked back in time to see a couple of the Jaffa closing in on him, aiming their staffs straight at his chest. As he ducked out of the way, his eyes also caught sight of Daniel, lying facedown on the ground.

_'He just tripped,'_ Jack told himself as he took cover behind a tree. _'He tripped and now he's playing dead while he waits for me to take out those damn Jaffa.'_

With that thought in mind, Jack didn't waste another second. He peeked out from behind his tree, and before the Jaffa could take aim and fire, his P90 let go with a volley of fire that hit its intended targets with skilled accuracy.

Once they went down, Jack leaped out from his cover and made his way over to Daniel.

"Sir!" he heard Carter yell.

"Head for the gate!" Jack commanded her. "I'll be right behind you!"

He didn't even waste time making sure she did as he instructed, turning his back on her to give his full attention to Daniel. "Damn," he muttered when he saw the smoke rising from his friend's jacket. He hadn't tripped after all. "Daniel?"

Daniel didn't move a muscle. In fact, Jack couldn't even tell whether he was breathing.

Jack anxiously checked his friend's pulse, and to his relief Daniel's heart was still beating steady and strong. _'Not dead, just unconscious,'_ he thought in an effort to get rid of the feeling of dread that had settled over him.

It didn't work. The sound of more Jaffa running his way made it clear how urgent his situation had become. He had to somehow get Daniel out of there, but there was no way he was going to make it to the gate carrying him.

He looked around and assessed his surroundings in one second flat. There were some thick bushes to his right that would do for temporary cover, he decided. Careful not to touch the injury on Daniel's left side, he picked him up off the ground just enough that he could drag him out of sight. He laid the unconscious man face down on the ground and crouched down beside him just in time, as the Jaffa passed his position on their way to the gate.

No sooner had the Jaffa left his sight than Jack's radio crackled and the sound of Carter's frantic voice met his ears.

"Sir, we've been cut off from the gate. There are at least a dozen Jaffa guarding it, and I don't know how many more scouting the area."

"Have they found the MALP?"

"No, Sir, it's still in the bushes where we left it."

"Alright, fall back and stay out of sight," Jack instructed. "Keep an eye on their movements, and at the first opportunity, dial the gate and try to get a message through to Hammond. We're gonna need reinforcements... and a medical team."

"Sir?"

"Daniel's been hit," he said, the words causing a sour taste to settle in his mouth. "It looks pretty bad. First opportunity, Major."

"Understood, Sir. Carter out."

A muffled sound coming from the man beside him grabbed Jack's full attention in the blink of an eye. "Daniel?" he said, leaning closer to him to see if he was waking up.

"Jack?" Only one of Daniel's eyes was visible, and Jack saw it crack open and try to focus on his face. It was only then that Jack noticed his glasses were gone.

"Yeah, just hold still," Jack said, taking a moment to glance around to see if they were still safely hidden away. "You're injured."

Daniel let out a soft moan. "I've been shot, haven't I?" he asked, his slurred words making Jack worry about a concussion.

"Looks that way," Jack replied. He tried to keep his tone light so he didn't scare the guy, but it was one of the hardest things he'd ever done. He hadn't taken a close look yet, but he could tell that the wound was bad. Very bad.

Daniel raised his head a little to look around. "We're hiding?" he asked.

"Yeah, so keep your head down."

"Sorry." Daniel dropped his head back down onto the ground, and for a second Jack thought he'd passed out again.

He decided to take that opportunity to see what he could do for Daniel's wound, but before he could get anywhere near it, Daniel's head snapped up again.

"We still hiding?" he asked blearily.

Jack winced. "Yeah," he said. "Here, let me check on that wound."

Daniel blinked heavily and looked around again. "You sure we're safe here?" he asked.

"No," Jack replied in all honesty. "It's the best we can do for now. You don't exactly seem capable of walking off to anyplace safer."

"What about that little dugout I found in the side of the cliff yesterday?"

Jack shook his head in disbelief. Daniel was never one to listen to reason, though, so why did this comment come as a surprise? With a sigh, he swallowed any sarcastic retort that might have come out and asked, "What about it?"

"Any port in a storm..."

"I told you, Daniel, you're not fit to be moved. If I..."

His lecture was brought to an end when he heard the sound of approaching Jaffa footsteps. Both men went deathly silent as they crouched down low to the ground and waited for the soldiers to pass by. Jack sucked in a breath and held it as one of the Jaffa brushed past the bushes that were serving as their cover. He was so close that Jack could smell the guy's body odour.

"You're right," Jack whispered once the Jaffa had moved out of earshot. "We're not safe here."

"I'll be fine," Daniel said, groaning as he tried to sit up.

Jack cursed under his breath and gave him a hand. To his great annoyance, Daniel didn't stop at sitting up - he started trying to stand. "Dammit, Daniel, go slow," he snapped.

Daniel swayed a little once he was on his feet, clutching his left side and wincing as his face drained of all colour. He pulled his hand away and looked down at the blood that now covered it. "Crap."

"Looks more like blood to me," Jack quipped. He took Daniel's right arm and draped it around his shoulders, then wrapped his arm around Daniel's back. "You sure you're up for this?" he asked. "You know I'd offer to carry you, but my back..."

"Let's just get this over with," Daniel said. He already sounded out of breath, and his face was starting to turn a very unnatural shade of grey.

Thankfully, the cliff face Daniel had mentioned wasn't far away. They'd discovered soon after coming to this world that the Stargate was nestled in the bottom of a gorge surrounded on every side by cliffs of varying heights. Daniel had, of course, found some kind of writing etched into the side of one of them, and had spent a large part of the previous day studying it and trying to figure out what it all meant. He never managed it, and Jack secretly felt it was probably just graffiti - this planet's version of "Bob was here," or something along those lines.

Daniel had literally stumbled upon the "dugout," as he called it - a small hollow in the side of the cliff that looked like it was at one time used as someone's winter home. He'd slid right down into it, as it had been dug down a few feet below ground level. He was right - it would provide the perfect cover for them now. Not only was it completely hidden until you got up close, but it was also one hundred percent defensible - there was only one way in or out.

Daniel slumped heavily against Jack's side as he limped along, and every now and then a shudder would wrack his body so hard that Jack could feel it. His injuries must have hurt like hell, but he never made a sound. That in itself worried Jack.

"Remember where it was?" Jack asked as they approached the cliff wall.

"Go left," Daniel said, his voice sounding tight and pained.

Jack steered them left, and moments later he saw the narrow opening. At the same time, he heard the unmistakable sound of approaching Jaffa.

Without saying a word, he lowered Daniel down into the trench and hopped in after him. They both pressed themselves against the edge and kept their heads down as the Jaffa walked right past their position.

Jack could hear them talking, but he didn't have a clue what they were saying. The only word he understood was, "Kree." When they had marched off again and he and Daniel could relax, he asked, "What did they say? And no, I don't mean word-for-word. Just give me the general gist."

"The gist... they haven't found us yet," Daniel replied. "Guess we're safe here for now."

"Good. That'll give me a chance to take a look at you." Jack went to look at Daniel's wound, but Daniel flinched away from him.

"Jack, I'm fine."

"Daniel, a staff blast in the back is never 'fine.'"

"Actually, it's more in my side, and I'm pretty sure it's not even bleeding anymore."

"It still needs medical attention, and you know it."

Daniel sighed and rolled his eyes, but he didn't stop Jack from examining the wound this time.

After peeling his jacket and shirt away from the wound, Jack got his first good look at the mess that Daniel's side had become. He gritted his teeth against the sudden wave of nausea that passed through him, and with the meagre supplies he found in the med kit he managed to patch his friend up to some extent. He wasn't able to do much, though. Daniel had been right - it wasn't bleeding anymore. It looked as though the blast had cauterized itself... at least on the outside. Jack had had internal bleeding often enough to know what it looked like at a glance. He wasn't an expert on these things, but even he could tell that Daniel needed a doctor if he was going to make it through this.

Once he'd done all he could do for that injury, he rolled Daniel over onto his back and said, "Okay, now what about your head?"

Daniel winced at having to lie on such a tender spot, but he didn't complain. "What about it?" he asked.

As much as Jack was trying to make his friend more comfortable, Daniel's obstinacy was starting to make him want to throttle the guy instead. "Daniel, you were unconscious for a full minute," he said. "For a second there, I thought you were dead! You must have hit your head when you fell, so where does it hurt?"

Daniel stared at him in surprise for a second, and then raised a limp hand to feel around his forehead.

"Here, let me," Jack said, pulling Daniel's hand away to get a better look. He soon saw an egg-shaped lump just past Daniel's hairline. "Found it," he said. "There's a lump, so that's a good sign. You've probably got a concussion, though."

Daniel winced again and started panting as Jack removed his hands from his head and sat back on his heels.

"What's wrong?" Jack asked in concern.

"Got any pain killers in that kit?"

Jack grabbed the kit and rummaged through it, kicking himself for not giving him the meds without being asked. Daniel actually asking for pain meds was not a good sign.

Once the meds were found and administered, Daniel finally laid his head back and relaxed. "Can I ask you something?" he said.

"Sure. Shoot."

"If you thought I was dead, why did you get yourself stranded out here just to come back for me?"

Jack couldn't believe his ears. How many times had he said that no one gets left behind? Why did Daniel still not trust that? He was about to lay into him about it when he remembered the conversation they'd had four years earlier on Klorel's ship. Jack had left him behind then because he'd been dying, and taking him out of there would have slowed the rest of them down.

Those had been completely different circumstances, though, and Daniel knew it. Still, he'd just been shot and concussed, so Jack was willing to cut him some slack. With a serious face, he replied, "Because I've learned from experience that just because Daniel Jackson may _look_ dead, it doesn't mean he is."

Daniel snorted and then winced at the pain it caused.

"Besides," Jack added, "Fraiser would kill me if I didn't bring you back in one piece."

Daniel's face fell at this comment. He turned away from Jack as much as he could and looked down at the ground. "Please don't talk about that," he said quietly.

Jack did a double take. Not talk about Fraiser? Something must be _very_ wrong. Daniel had been talking non-stop about her for months, ever since Cassie's illness when they had, as Daniel put it, "taken their friendship to the next level." Still, the look on his face and the lifelessness in his posture told Jack not to push it.

The silence hung heavy over them for a short time as Jack took a good look around at their temporary shelter. There was a small pit on one end that looked like it had once been used as a fireplace, and a little hole had been cut into the ceiling above it to release the smoke. The thought of that made Jack nervous for a second, until he realized that the hole was much too small for a Jaffa to fit through. The fact that there was well thought out ventilation in this little dugout puzzled him, though.

"What is this place, anyway?" he mused aloud. "Doesn't look exactly... you know..."

"Natural?" Daniel offered.

"Yeah."

"No, my guess is it was man-made... or _something_ made... probably decades ago, maybe longer, to protect whoever it was against the winter or predators or... something."

"That what you got from the graffiti?"

Daniel shot him a very unamused look. "Common sense, Jack. I put two and two together."

Jack chose to ignore the attitude. "Looks like the front door's the only way in or out," he said. "The only other opening is in the... well, 'ceiling', for lack of a better word. There's some kind of ventilation shaft or something up there, but it looks too tiny for a person to fit through it. So, even if the Jaffa somehow find us in here, as long as we can hold them off from getting through the main entrance, I think we're safe enough until our reinforcements arrive."

"You're so sure they will?"

Jack raised his eyebrows. "You're so sure they won't?"

"I couldn't help but notice there hasn't been much radio chatter going on lately."

"Because Carter knows we're hiding out and doesn't want to reveal our position to the enemy," Jack reasoned. "Optimism, Daniel, optimism."

Daniel nodded, but didn't look convinced. "Right. I guess more miraculous things have happened on Christmas Eve."

Jack blinked. He'd forgotten what day it was in all of the stress of the past hour. Now that he knew, he didn't find it so odd that Daniel hadn't wanted to talk about Fraiser. They'd probably had plans for the holiday that weren't going to happen now.

He was stumped as to how to respond to Daniel's comment, so he just let it hang in the air. More uncomfortable silence was the result. Jack's favourite form of torture. After a minute or so of it, he cleared his throat and asked, "Pain killers kicking in?"

"Yeah," Daniel said, his eyes staring blankly off into space. "Starting to feel kinda... floaty."

"Sweet. Enjoy it while it lasts."

Daniel nodded and closed his eyes.

Jack watched him anxiously, knowing that at any moment he could... No, he refused to allow himself to even think that thought. Talking... he had to keep him talking.

"Well, this is _not_ how I figured I'd be spending Christmas this year," he said, trying to sound casual.

"Tell me about it," Daniel said, though he didn't open his eyes and his words were more slurred than ever. "I can't get that song 'Christmas in the Trenches' out of my head. You know that song?"

"Yeah," Jack said suspiciously. "You're not gonna start singing it, are you?"

The corners of Daniel's mouth twitched. "No, course not," he said. A second later, he let out a quiet laugh that sounded a bit too much like a giggle for Jack's liking.

"What's so funny?"

"Sorry," Daniel said, opening his eyes and looking over at Jack with a sheepish expression on his face. "I just had a vision pop into my mind of all the Jaffa coming out and sharing cigarettes and pictures of the wife and kids with us, like the Germans did." He giggled again at this thought.

"Boy, you really must have taken a whack to the head, Daniel."

"Hey, it could happen," Daniel said weakly. He closed his eyes again, a faint smile lingering on his face.

"You're delirious."

The smile slowly faded as Daniel seemed to be drifting off to sleep. "Hopefully," he muttered. "Cause then I'd wake up and find I just imagined all this."

"That's some imagination you've got there, in that case," Jack said, "cause I'm seeing it all, too."

Daniel huffed a laugh, but his forehead was furrowed with pain and his breathing was getting shallow and uneven. "This would have been my first Christmas wi..." His voice trailed off mid-sentence as he winced and gripped his side.

"With Fraiser," Jack finished for him.

"Yeah." He was quiet for a moment, but then said hesitantly, "I... was going to... propose to her tonight, you know."

Jack's eyebrows just about hit the ceiling before he could recover from the surprise of this announcement. Thankfully, Daniel's eyes were still closed. "On Christmas Eve?" he said in a dry yet teasing tone. "How very romantic of you."

"It was supposed to be, yeah."

Jack could see that Daniel was starting to get depressed, so he shrugged nonchalantly. "So you can propose on Christmas Day," he said. "Or hey, New Year's Eve - even better."

"Yeah, I guess so," Daniel said with a sigh. "I'd just give anything to be there and not _here_ right now." He made a frustrated motion with his hand as he spoke, opening his eyes and casting a disgusted look around their current accommodations.

"I think that pretty much goes without saying."

"I bet she and Cassie are at home as we speak," Daniel went on, "trimming the tree, setting out all the presents, baking gingerbread cookies... waiting for me to get there so we can have dinner. Only I'm not coming," he added wistfully.

"You might get there yet."

Daniel gave him a wry look. "Right, Jack. Yep, just as soon as one of those Jaffa starts singing Stille Nacht, we'll make a break for the gate. I just hope you're up to carrying me, 'cause I sure ain't walkin' outta here."

"Daniel..."

"No, no, you're right, Jack. Aaaaaany second now..." He tilted his head to one side as though he were listening for something.

"Will you shut up already, for cryin' out loud?" Jack muttered. As much as he wanted to keep Daniel talking, the present conversation was really wearing his patience thin.

Daniel grunted and gritted his teeth, and while at first Jack thought it was out of anger, he soon realized it was pain.

_'If rescue's coming, now would be a very good time for it to arrive,'_ he thought. Aloud he simply said, "Hang in there, Daniel."

He was right... more miraculous things had happened on Christmas Eve. They'd get out of this. No problem.

To be continued...


	2. Part two

**Christmas in the Trenches - Part 2**

It never fails - every time one needs to be still and silent, one's nose starts to itch.

Sam finally couldn't stand it anymore, so she lifted her hand and rubbed the offending facial feature viciously.

"Are you alright, Major Carter?" Teal'c asked in an almost-whisper.

"Just getting restless," she whispered back. She shifted position slightly to take a quick look at her watch. "We were due back half an hour ago," she told him. "I don't think we're going to be able to dial the gate anytime soon, but hopefully General Hammond will realize something is wrong and try to contact us."

"Does he not wait a few hours before he makes contact?"

"It's Christmas Eve, Teal'c. He'd know we wouldn't be late back tonight unless something drastic is happening."

"I see."

Sam was about to respond when she heard the familiar sound of a Stargate activating. She couldn't keep a triumphant smile from appearing on her face. The Jaffa who had been guarding the gate were now turned towards it. This was the opportunity they had been waiting for. "What did I tell you?" she said as she scrambled to her feet. "You take the ones on the right."

Not another word needed to be said. She and Teal'c took advantage of the Jaffa's inattention to gun them down. By the time they clued in to where their attackers were and started returning fire, there were only three of them left. Soon even those three were no longer a threat.

"SG-1, this is Hammond. Please come in, over."

Sam smiled in relief and keyed her radio. "Carter here, Sir. We have a situation, I'm afraid. We were on our way back to the gate approximately an hour ago when a group of Jaffa appeared out of nowhere. They surrounded us within minutes, cutting us off from the gate. Daniel took a hit, and Colonel O'Neill went back for him."

"Are you still cut off from the gate, Major?"

"Not anymore, Sir, thanks to you. We took them out while they were distracted by the incoming wormhole. There are still at least two patrols out there, though, Sir, and Colonel O'Neill and Daniel are stuck. We'll need reinforcements and a medical team, if at all possible."

"They'll be there in less than an hour. Anything else you require?"

Sam exchanged a look with Teal'c, but he merely tilted his head in the negative way. "Not at the moment, Sir," she answered.

"Very well. Sit tight - I'll be sending reinforcements through shortly. Hammond out."

Sam gave a sigh of relief as the gate shut down. Then she and Teal'c took cover again and settled in for another long wait.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Jack sat back and listened to the exchange between Carter and Hammond without interruption. Carter was handling it just fine, and he knew that if he spoke up he would have to give a description of Daniel's injuries. That was not something he wanted to do in front of the guy.

Truth was, Daniel's condition was growing worse by the second. He even seemed to have run out of energy to talk, which in Daniel's world was one step away from being comatose. Every time he closed his eyes, Jack was scared that he was slipping away.

After Hammond signed off and the radio went silent, Daniel turned his worried face to Jack. "Medical team? Did she say medical team? You don't think he'll send Janet, do you?"

"When you're the one they're coming to rescue?" Jack said. "Nah, I doubt it. Technically, she's not supposed to treat you directly anymore, remember? Let alone be sent out into the field after you."

"Right," Daniel said, though he didn't look any less worried.

"Besides," Jack said, anxious to calm him down any way he could, "like you said, she's at home with Cassie as we speak, getting the place dolled up for her handsome hero's return." He grinned and cuffed Daniel lightly on the shoulder.

Daniel forced a smile in return and seemed to be trying to relax. "I sure hope so."

"Sir, are you there?"

Jack keyed his radio at the sound of Carter's voice. "We're here, Carter. We heard everything. Good job."

"Thank you, Sir. How is Daniel doing?"

"He's..." Jack stopped as Daniel lifted a hand and gave him a feeble swat on the arm.

"I'm okay, Sam," Daniel said through his own radio. "We're in that dugout I found yesterday. You remember where it is?"

"Yeah, I do. It's good to hear your voice, Daniel."

Jack decided that was enough of that, so he pushed Daniel's hand away from his radio before he could say anymore. "No more talking," he said. "Rest."

Daniel made a grumpy face, but laid his head back and closed his eyes.

"Carter, there's a group of Jaffa that keep passing our location - about twice in the last half hour - so be on the lookout when you head this way."

"Will do, Sir. If all goes well, we'll be there to extract you within an hour. Carter out."

Jack stared solemnly at Daniel for a full minute after the silence fell over them again, just watching his chest rising and falling with each ragged breath and the contortions of his face every time the movement caused him pain. He wished there were more he could do for him, but there was nothing more to be done. Still, he couldn't just sit there for the next hour watching his friend deteriorate like that. He grabbed his canteen and nudged Daniel's shoulder.

Daniel started and snapped his eyes open. "Wha?"

"Sorry," Jack said, feeling guilty for disturbing him. "You should have some water."

Daniel nodded, so Jack helped him take a swig from the canteen. "That's enough," Daniel said after one mouthful, waving it away.

"You have to drink, Daniel."

"If I have more, it'll just come back up," Daniel said, resting his hand on his stomach and squeezing his eyes shut.

"That bad, huh?"

Daniel didn't answer, which was enough of an answer in itself.

He laid his hand on Daniel's forehead, partly to check his temperature and partly to offer some form of comfort to him. He almost expected him to feel cold, as there was quite a nip to the air now that the sun was setting, but instead he felt burning hot.

Jack sighed and rubbed his face wearily. That medical team couldn't arrive fast enough.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Daniel was jerked out of a doze by the sound of gunfire. It sounded close - much too close.

"Jack?" he gasped, looking around in the dim light and finding himself alone.

"Over here, Daniel," Jack's voice said from somewhere behind him. "Stay down and keep quiet."

"What's going on?" he asked anxiously. He couldn't seem to wrap his mind around where he was and what was happening.

"Didn't I just tell you to... crap."

Jack fired his P-90 again, causing Daniel to flinch and cover his ears from the noise. The sudden movement sent a wave of pain through Daniel's entire body, its epicentre being the wound in his side. He couldn't stop a moan escaping from his lips.

"You okay?" Jack was by his side in a second.

"Fine, just... ow."

"Sorry. The Jaffa have made our position, but I think I've scared them off trying to get in here."

One of the Jaffa outside the dugout chose that moment to send a staff blast through the narrow opening, and it hit the wall across from Daniel, just a few feet away from his position. Jack sent a volley of fire through the opening in response, and a few angry Jaffa curses were thrown at them in retaliation.

"Well, this is a pleasant situation," Daniel said, though his tongue didn't want to work properly and slurred the words all together.

"Isn't it, though?" Jack rolled his eyes and then looked over at Daniel in the way that he'd been doing ever since Daniel had been shot. Daniel hated it - it felt like Jack was trying to figure out whether he was about to keel over or something. "Were you asleep for the conversation I had with Carter?" he asked.

"Um... if it wasn't the one I joined in on, then I guess I was."

Jack nodded. "Hammond sent the reinforcements through about two minutes ago. They should be here any second now."

Daniel wasn't sure whether to be happy or terrified to hear that. He was still worried that Janet would be on the rescue team, as unfounded as those fears might be. While he would love to have her there with him, fussing over him and using those healing hands to make everything right again, he didn't want her to enter the field of battle like this. If she got hurt trying to save him, he would never forgive himself. He'd rather die instead.

Scarcely a minute later, more gunfire could be heard. This time it was in the distance, and getting closer.

The Jaffa outside the dugout started shouting, and soon their staff weapons joined in on the racket. Jack took up position at the dugout's opening, conserving his ammunition for when it was absolutely needed.

"Colonel?" a voice called from outside during a lull in the shooting.

"Over here," Jack called, waving his hand out of the opening. He stepped back as a group of people wearing camo gear entered.

One of whom was five feet two inches tall and carrying a large med kit.

"No," Daniel groaned as she made a beeline straight towards him. "You shouldn't have come."

"It's good to see you, too, Daniel."

"You know what I mean."

"You were expecting me to stand back and watch someone else head off to save your life?" Janet asked as she crouched down beside him and set to work. "I thought you knew me better than that."

"I thought you'd be at home with Cassie," Daniel said, grunting as she started her examination and touched a rather painful spot.

"I was waiting for you before heading home," she said. "When you didn't come back, I started getting worried. Then General Hammond ordered a medical team..."

"And you badgered him into letting you go."

Janet paused in her work to give him an innocent smile. "I asked nicely, and he said yes."

Daniel grinned, but as soon as he started to laugh the pain put a stop to it. "Please, don't make me laugh," he begged.

Janet's expression immediately turned to one of sympathy. "Does this hurt?" she asked, applying pressure to a spot on his abdomen right next to the wound.

The pain was so intense that Daniel couldn't even speak. His writhing and groaning told Janet all she needed to know. She continued her examination quickly but carefully, giving quiet, one-word apologies every time she did something that caused him more pain.

Daniel barely even noticed the sounds of fighting coming from outside now that Janet was with him. It didn't even register in his mind that it had all quietened down until he heard Jack's voice.

"Is it bad, Doc?" he asked from somewhere off to Daniel's left.

"If we can get him out of here now, he should be okay," Janet replied.

Daniel looked over at Jack when there was nothing but silence in reply. The guilty look on Jack's face didn't fill him with much confidence.

"That might be a bit of a problem," Jack finally said.

"What? Why?" Janet asked.

Jack didn't answer, just gestured around him.

Daniel and Janet both looked around to see that Sam, Teal'c, SG-3, and Janet's two medics had all joined them in the little shelter.

"Please don't tell me we're all stuck here," Janet said in a low voice as she slowly rose to her feet.

"It seems the Jaffa had reinforcements of their own sent through the gate just after you arrived," Jack told her. "We're just lucky you guys came through when you did, or you'd all be dead by now."

"So..."

"So we've all been chased in here and can't get out without falling right into their hands," Jack said, looking like he wanted to spit.

"What are we going to do?" Janet asked. She looked about as close to panic as Daniel had ever seen her.

"It's dark now," Jack replied. "Do you think he'll make it until morning? I think it'd be best if we wait until daylight to make our next move... or until Hammond sends another team or two, which might end up being a bad idea considering what happened to this one."

Janet looked down at her shoes for a second, but then straightened her back and looked Jack right in the eye. "I'll do my best," she said, "but it really depends on how long the nights are on this planet."

"Same as Earth, give or take," Daniel said, mostly to show that he was still alive and following the conversation.

Janet looked down at him with a mixture of pain and fear in her eyes. The intensity of it caught Daniel off guard for a moment, and he had to look away.

"I'll do what I can," she said. She dropped down to her knees at Daniel's side as Jack walked away, and looked into her med kit for something.

"Janet?" Daniel said, keeping his voice barely above a whisper so that no one would overhear.

"Yes?" she said without even looking up at him. She busied her hands with preparing a syringe of what Daniel assumed to be pain medication of some kind.

"Tell me the truth," he said. "How bad?"

It seemed as though she wasn't going to answer at first, but then she took a deep breath and steeled herself for her response. "You need surgery," she said. "Rather urgently."

"You can't do it here?"

"No. Not without killing you. I can keep you stable for a little while. Hopefully long enough that we'll still get you back in time."

The fact that she didn't make eye contact with him sent off warning signals in Daniel's brain. He'd had a feeling all along that he wasn't going to make it out of this alive, and she had just all but told him these suspicions were true. He suddenly felt very, very tired.

"This is for the pain," she said as she gave him the shot. "It's about all I can do for you at the moment."

"Thank you." Daniel relaxed as he felt the drug begin to take effect, but tensed again when he saw Janet start to stand up. He lifted a weak hand and touched her leg. "Please don't leave me."

He could barely see her face in the semi-darkness, but he could tell that she forced a smile for him. "I'm not going anywhere," she said, sinking back down to the ground beside him.

She laid her hand on the side of his face, and Daniel leaned into it and closed his eyes. Even though he would have given anything for her not to have been placed in this dangerous situation, he was glad that she was with him. She could always make him feel better just by one little touch.

The moment was broken by a sudden staff blast fired through the opening of the dugout. Daniel's heart just about leapt out of his chest at the sound, and his pulse felt strange afterwards, making his breath catch in his throat.

"It's okay," Janet soothed, stroking his hair with one hand as she checked his pulse with the other. "Just relax."

Daniel winced as one of his comrades returned fire. For some reason, every sound seemed louder to him now. Once everything was quiet again, he tried to force his breathing to return to normal but found that he couldn't.

He was dying, and he knew it.

"Janet?" he said as a shiver wracked his frame.

"I'm right here."

He smiled. Of course she was. She was always there when he needed her. "Listen... if I don't make it..."

"Don't say that, Daniel," she cut in. "You _are_ going to make it."

"But if I _don't_... I need you to know..." He paused and took a shuddery breath. "I love you," he finished, taking her hand and giving it a weak squeeze.

Janet smiled and squeezed his hand back, though she looked like she was about to cry. "I know, Daniel. I love you, too."

Daniel's heart fluttered at those words, this time for a different reason than his injury. It gave him just the courage he needed to say what he had to say next. "If I _do_ make it... will you marry me?"

Janet's mouth fell open in surprise, and for what seemed like forever she just sat there staring at him in stunned silence.

It started to worry Daniel. "Janet?"

Janet gave herself a slight shake and came back down to reality. "Daniel, I don't think this is the right time for you to be asking me a question like that," she said quietly. "You're injured, you're on pain medication, you're not thinking clearly..."

"Yes, I am."

"A lot of people say and do things they don't really mean in this kind of situation, so I think it's best..."

"Janet!" Daniel cut her off, trying hard not to laugh at her babbling. "The ring is at home, hidden in the back of my sock drawer. I was going to ask you tonight, over hot chocolate and gingerbread cookies, sitting by the Christmas tree with a cozy fire burning in the fireplace. I've been planning it for weeks."

Again the stunned look appeared on her face. "It is? You were? You... you have?"

Daniel finally couldn't hold back a chuckle, but then winced and gripped her hand as a wave of pain ran through him. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes to wait for it to pass.

Janet pressed her fingers to his neck again in concern. "Daniel?"

Daniel let out a slow breath as the pain eased off. "I love you so much, Janet," he said, opening his eyes and gazing at her lovingly. "I can't imagine living another day without you. Please say you'll marry me."

Janet smiled, her eyes sparkling with unshed tears in the light from their teammates' flashlights. She cupped his face in her hand and answered, "As unromantic as this setting is for a proposal... yes, Daniel. I'll marry you. I want nothing more."

Daniel grinned in relief. This had turned into a win/win situation - if he died, he would die happy knowing the loveliest woman in the galaxy loved him enough to want to marry him. If he lived, he was sure to be the luckiest man alive.

He closed his eyes and lifted his hand to touch her face as Janet leaned down to press a gentle kiss to his lips. God, how he loved her.

His hand dropped limply to his side as she pulled away, but the brief kiss had done for him what no sedative or painkiller could ever do. He felt warm, relaxed, and loved.

"Here, come forward for a second," Janet said, taking him gently by the shoulders and pulling his upper body away from the wall.

Daniel allowed her to move him, feeling only a twinge in his side as a result. She slipped in behind him easily, sitting with her back against the wall of the dugout, and then eased Daniel back against her.

"Rest now, okay?" she whispered.

Daniel didn't object. She was cradling him like a child, her arms wrapped securely around his chest as she stroked his hair and rocked him slightly from side to side. He hadn't felt so at peace for as long as he could remember.

His eyelids were beginning to droop when he felt something touching his legs. He opened his eyes to see Jack draping a blanket over him. He hadn't even noticed how cold it was getting until that moment.

When Jack noticed that Daniel was looking at him, he forced him a smile. "Hey, Daniel, how're you doing?"

Daniel smiled back, though it was a rather pathetic, shaky thing from what he could tell. "Jack, she said yes," he said, his voice sounding weak and thin even to his own ears.

Jack flicked his eyes over to Janet for a second, but then looked back at Daniel with an expression of feigned innocence on his face. "What was the question?"

Daniel knew Jack knew, so he didn't even bother answering him. He snuggled contentedly into Janet's arms as she pulled the blanket up under his chin and kissed the top of his head.

_'If I have to die,'_ he thought to himself, _'I couldn't think of a better way to go.'_

To be continued...


	3. Part three

**Christmas in the Trenches - Part 3**

Janet couldn't believe the ironic cruelty of her situation. Her beloved father had died on Christmas Eve when she was eighteen. Now, twenty years later to the day, her fiancé - arguably the only man she had ever really loved - was likely to do the same. It just wasn't fair.

She had only been on this planet for a little under an hour, yet it felt like it had been ten times longer. Daniel was burning up, yet he kept shivering with cold despite the blanket Colonel O'Neill had given him. His condition was deteriorating rapidly, and there was little Janet could do to slow it down.

The colonel, Sam, and Teal'c kept shooting anxious glances her way, but all she could do was shrug and shake her head in answer to their unspoken questions. She didn't know how much longer he could hang on. She didn't know of any way they could help. She just didn't know.

She brushed her cheek against his hair as she sat there waiting for whatever was going to happen first to happen - Daniel's death or their escape. She held him as tightly as she dared, as though she could somehow keep death at bay.

Suddenly, Daniel tensed and sucked in a sharp breath. "Janet?"

She pressed her finger against his neck to check his pulse while whispering soothing words into his ear. His pulse rate was not encouraging, but she tried not to let him know how frightened she was. When she looked over at Colonel O'Neill, however, she could tell right away that there was no hiding it from him.

"Janet?"

"I'm right here, Daniel," she said, kissing his hair and stroking his face. "Just relax."

"I... I can't."

Janet sighed. She didn't want to risk giving him more drugs just yet, but she had to get him to relax somehow if he was going to last the night.

On a whim, she took a deep breath and started to sing softly into his ear.

"I'll be home for Christmas  
You can plan on me  
Please have snow  
And mistletoe  
And presents 'round the tree..."

She didn't really care if anyone else could hear her. The song worked for Daniel as a lullaby, helping to soothe and relax him. Not to mention the fact that it was making Janet feel better, too. She had always loved to sing, and Daniel had told her many times that he loved listening to her voice.

"Christmas Eve will find me  
Where the love light beams..."

At these words, she felt Daniel's hand move to her leg, which was stretched out beside him. Other than that, he didn't move or make a sound.

"I'll be home for Christmas  
If only in my dreams."

She didn't feel up to singing any more once the song came to an end. She didn't trust her voice to hold steady for much longer anyway. Silence fell over the small group then, as no one seemed to know what to do or say.

"I'm dreaming of a white Christmas..."

Janet looked up in surprise as she heard Sam start singing the familiar song. To her even greater surprise, one of the members of SG-3 joined in with her.

"Just like the ones I used to know..."

One by one, each of the men began to sing, until it was just Daniel, Janet, and Teal'c who hadn't joined in. Their voices were soft and wistful, and it gave Janet a clear understanding of just what those soldiers of long ago must have been going through, homesick and stranded out on the battlefield on Christmas Eve.

Daniel shivered and shifted position slightly as the song continued.

Janet adjusted his blanket a little. "Daniel, just try to relax, okay?"

"I am, but all this singing about snow is making me feel colder," he replied.

For some reason, the hint of a teasing tone in his voice just made Janet feel even worse. She tightened her arms around his shoulders, kissed his hair, and leaned her cheek on the top of his head.

Daniel suddenly gasped and reached his hand up to grip her arm. "I'm so tired," he said breathlessly, "but I'm afraid to fall asleep."

"It's okay, Daniel," she said almost automatically.

He tilted his head back to look up at her, his eyes full of pleading. "Would I wake up again?"

This innocent question broke Janet's heart, but she managed to force a tearful smile. "I'll make sure of it," she said. "Just rest."

"Janet... for the first time in my life... I'm afraid to die," he said, his eyes wide with near panic. "I don't want to die..."

"You're not going to."

"I don't want to leave you alone," he said, almost choking on the words.

"Shhh..." She stroked his face again, resting her cheek against his forehead. "That's not going to happen, okay? Rest."

Daniel took a shaky breath that made him wince, and she could almost feel him fighting back his panic and fear as he nodded and leaned heavily against her again.

"Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer..." Jack droned in a bland tone.

He sounded so bored that it was comical, and Daniel and Janet both smiled and laughed simultaneously. Unfortunately, Daniel's laughter only caused him more pain. He winced and shivered again as Jack continued to sing.

"I love you."

Janet smiled and tilted Daniel's head back again in order to give him a soft kiss. "I love you, too. Go to sleep, Daniel."

Daniel didn't protest further. He let his head fall limp against her shoulder and closed his eyes.

Janet would never have admitted it to anyone, but part of her believed that they had just said goodbye.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Jack was in agony. He hated just sitting by while the enemy waited right outside the door. It was in his nature to run out there and kill as many as he could with no regard to the consequences, but the leader in him saw how unwise that tactic would be. So, wait it out he must.

Worse than the waiting was the scene he was witnessing between Daniel and Fraiser. It hadn't really hit him until Fraiser had marched into the dugout without a trace of hesitation just how much the two of them cared about each other. Now to see them sitting there like that, Fraiser holding him and singing to him like they were the only two people on the planet... it was enough to break even his tough soldier's heart.

When White Christmas ended, the silence was too much for him to handle. He started singing the first song that entered his head. "Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer had a very shiny nose..."

He heard one or two of the others join in, which was good. Nobody wanted to listen to him sing an entire song on his own.

"Then one foggy Christmas Eve, Santa came to say..."

Jack just about jumped out of his skin as another staff weapon blast was fired through the door of their little hideaway just then. He leapt to his feet and fired a few shots just to show them that he was still on his toes. The laughter he heard from the warriors outside made his blood boil. "Oh, what?" he yelled. "You guys got something against Rudolph?! Give us a break, would ya? It's Christmas, for cryin' out loud!"

More laughter was all he heard in reply.

He turned back to his teammates just in time to hear Fraiser's panicked voice cry, "No, Daniel, don't do this now!"

He watched in shock as Fraiser scooted out from under Daniel, laying him down on the ground and whipping off his blankets. "What's going on?" he asked. He knew exactly what was going on, but they were the only words that he could think to say.

"He's going into arrest," she replied. "I need some help here!"

The two medics pushed past him to take up positions at Fraiser's side. Jack just stood frozen to the spot as he watched Fraiser start giving Daniel CPR.

"Come on, _breathe_!" she commanded as she pumped his chest frantically.

Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion until Fraiser said those magical words - "Okay... he's breathing. Steady pulse."

"Oh, thank God," Carter whispered from where she stood at Jack's side.

Jack shuffled over once the coast seemed to be clear and crouched down beside Fraiser and Daniel. "Is he..."

"He's alive for now, Colonel," Fraiser answered, "but if we don't get him out of here soon..."

"Yeah. That's what I thought." Screw waiting. They had to get out of here _now_.

He was just about to follow his instincts and run out of the dugout shooting when Carter's voice broke through the fog that had settled over his mind.

"Sir, I think I have an idea."

He turned to look over at her, and furrowed his brow in confusion when he saw she was standing in the middle of what he believed to be the fire pit looking down at the ancient ashes at her feet.

"What is it?" he asked as he ducked under the door to get to her.

"There's a draft here, Sir. This place is fully ventilated," she said, as though it was something he hadn't yet realized.

"Yeah, and...?"

She pointed up at the small opening in the ceiling.

"I've already thought about that, Carter," he said. "There's no way anyone's fitting through that hole."

"Santa does it all the time, Colonel," Major Warren spoke up.

Jack was about to call him on being a smart ass, but Carter's next words distracted him before he got the chance.

"Give me a leg-up, Teal'c."

Jack watched as Teal'c held out his linked hands and hefted Carter up by one foot when she stepped into them. Then he watched as Carter's head and shoulders disappeared inside the hole.

Seconds later, she pulled herself out of it again and hopped down to the ground. "No, I think you're right, Sir," she said regretfully. "It's a tight squeeze. I don't think I'd make it."

"What about me?"

Everyone turned to look at Fraiser, who was standing over by Daniel's side with a look of determination on her face.

Jack exchanged a nervous look with Carter. "What about Daniel?" he asked.

"Henderson and Manning can take care of him," she said. "I'm the smallest one here, so it makes sense for me to go. Please, Colonel. I want to do this."

Jack shook his head in his one and only sign of disapproval. He knew there was no stopping the doc once she decided she was going to do something, so he didn't bother wasting any time trying to talk her out of it. "Okay," he said with a sigh. "We'll need you to arrange a diversion and possibly take out a few of the Jaffa. Are you okay with that?"

"Just tell me what to do, and I'll do it."

The corners of Jack's mouth turned up slightly at her declaration. He had to admire her guts.

Then he glanced over at Daniel who was still lying there struggling for every breath he was taking, and he remembered the reasons behind her courage. They didn't have a second to lose.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Janet was glad the tiny tunnel had a slope to it, or she would have slipped right back down to the dugout in seconds. As it was, she had to move slowly and carefully as she climbed, holding onto any rock or root she could in order to keep herself moving forward.

The sack tied to her ankle wasn't any help. The tunnel was such a tight squeeze that she couldn't even wear her vest - everything she needed was in that sack. Her gun, C-4, grenades, and all manner of explosive materials were inside it. A far cry from the medical kit she usually carried.

She found out soon after entering this "chimney" that the dugout must have been used quite frequently in its day. It was coated in a thick layer of soot and ash. Her arms and hands were black within the first few feet, and she was sure the rest of her looked no better. _'I wonder how Santa keeps his suit so pristine?'_ she thought.

Thinking of ol' Saint Nick made her realize just how ironic her current circumstances were considering what day it was. Climbing a chimney with a sack full of explosives tied to her foot... she was sure there was a joke in there somewhere, but she was too worried about Daniel to think any more about it.

Finally, she came to the mouth of the tunnel. After taking a tentative peek outside, she hauled herself out of the hole and found herself perched rather precariously on a narrow ledge on the side of the cliff. There appeared to be no way up or sideways, so after taking the sack off of her ankle and tying it around her waist to rest against her stomach, she carefully slid down to the slightly more substantial ledge about ten feet below her.

This ledge seemed to stretch a fair distance either way along the cliff face. She started to edge along it to her right, her back to the wall and her eyes looking anywhere but down.

Soon enough, she came within sight of the Jaffa that were lying in wait outside the dugout. She was thankful then for the soot that covered her, as it meant she was invisible to them even in the moonlight. Taking a deep breath, she reached into her sack and pulled out the C-4. It didn't take long to activate it, setting the timer for five seconds. Then she threw it with all of her might in the opposite direction from the dugout.

The Jaffa jumped to their feet at the sound of the explosion. After a moment of confusion, half of them ran off to find out what the commotion was all about.

Janet did a quick headcount and saw that there were approximately six remaining. Piece of cake.

She reached into her sack again and pulled out a grenade. Once she'd taken the pin out, she took careful aim and threw it at the remaining Jaffa.

_'Three down, nine to go,'_ she thought as the dust from the explosion cleared.

Right on schedule, the men in the dugout came out shooting, and soon the only Jaffa remaining were those that had fallen for the diversion.

Janet started scrambling down the cliff to join her friends as they all filed out of the dugout and started for the gate. As she did so, she saw that the rest of the Jaffa were returning.

"Colonel!" she yelled as loud as she could.

He dropped down on one knee and started firing as soon as he saw the bushes move. From Janet's vantage point, she saw two of the warriors go down immediately. The other four ducked behind trees and avoided the bullets that rained down around them.

Janet left them to the colonel and the others and rushed straight over to Daniel, who was being carried out of the dugout on a stretcher by the time she got there. "How's he doing?" she asked Henderson, the medic who was walking beside it as Manning and Sam carried Daniel along.

"He's still with us," Henderson replied.

"Thank God."

"All clear!" Colonel O'Neill called. "Let's move!"

Janet was only too happy to comply. She ran alongside Daniel's stretcher as they hurried on their way to the Stargate, not even giving their haven of sorrows a backward glance.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

"From what I hear, then your mom single-handedly took out a dozen Jaffa."

Janet swatted Daniel playfully on the arm. "I did not!" she protested. "It was more like... three."

"Oh, only three." Daniel beamed at her, pride making his eyes literally shine as he teased her. "Stop being so modest, Janet. You saved every one of us, and you know it."

Janet ducked her head and looked away, more because of the overwhelming feeling of joy that rushed over her at having him there to tease her mercilessly than any kind of embarrassment.

"I wish I could have seen it," Cassie said with a groan. "You seriously blew stuff up? Like... people?"

Daniel laughed, but then he winced and gripped his side. "Ow."

"Poor baby," Janet teased, knowing full well that he was milking the whole injury deal now. She sat down on the edge of the couch he was stretched out on and leaned down to kiss him.

"Oh man," Cassie said in disgust as she stood up from where she'd been sitting on the floor, "if you guys are gonna start with the kissy stuff, I may as well get going. There's a new year's party calling my name."

Janet smiled and accepted the embrace her daughter offered. "Have fun, sweetie."

"I'm sure I will. See you, Daniel," Cassie said as she grabbed her coat and started for the door.

"See you, Cass. Behave yourself."

Cassie turned to shoot him a saucy look before she disappeared out the door.

Daniel grinned and stroked Janet's back. "We're alone."

Janet curled up beside him on the couch, snaking her arm around his waist and laying her head on his chest. "At last."

They lay there in silence for a minute or two, but then Daniel started to squirm. Janet lifted her head from his chest as he reached into his pocket and pulled something out of it.

"This... is what I should have done a week ago," he said, presenting her with a tiny velvet box.

Janet gasped as she accepted the box and opened it to reveal a beautiful diamond ring that was nestled inside. "Daniel..."

"Will you still marry me?" he asked.

Janet laughed as she took the ring out of the box and slipped it onto her finger. "Of course I will, Daniel," she said. Then she rewarded him with a long, deep kiss that even took her own breath away.

When they finally parted, Janet snuggled back down to her former position, holding her bejewelled hand out in front of her for both of them to see. Daniel stroked her back with one hand and linked the fingers of the other with hers. "Sorry it's a little late," he said.

This comment brought to mind something that she'd been meaning to ask him ever since the initial proposal when he'd said that he'd been planning the circumstances for it for weeks. "About that," she said, propping herself up on her elbow to look down at his face, "why were you so set on proposing on Christmas Eve?"

Daniel just gazed up at her in silence for a moment, reaching up to brush her long hair back behind her ear. Then he quietly answered, "I wanted to redeem the day."

Janet blinked at him in confusion. Redeem the day? What did that mean? "What are you talking about?"

"Your father," he said softly, caressing her cheek with the backs of his fingers. "I wanted that day to hold sweet memories for you again, rather than just being the anniversary of his death."

Janet couldn't have responded to that even if she'd wanted to. No one had ever spoken to her about that before. She had always tried to conceal how much it hurt every time December 24th rolled around, not wanting to spoil the day for anyone else with her pain and sorrow. The fact that Daniel had picked up on her silent pain and had tried to do what little he could to ease it meant more to her than anything anyone could ever do. Tears filled her eyes, and she had to turn her face away from him while she tried to get herself back under control.

"Are you okay?" he asked anxiously, cupping her face in his hand and brushing away a stray tear with his thumb.

She looked back at him and melted at the concern she saw in his eyes. "I love you so much," she said, forcing her voice to comply for just one moment.

Daniel smiled softly. "Merry Christmas, Janet," he said as he pulled her down for another kiss.

Janet had to admit in that moment that despite Daniel's brush with death and her own battlefield adventures, this had been the best Christmas of her life.

THE END


End file.
